Prickly Beauty

I love cactus flowers. They are for me the most arresting sight in the desert. Come springtime, from out of these spiny plants pop up these spectacular flowers. The contrast is remarkable, delicate beauties that seem to float on a bed of thorns.

Thanks, Dave. Generally speaking, I avoid the Southwest (where the cacti are in their habitat) during the ‘off’ seasons of summer and winter, so it’s almost a certainty that I will see some blooming specimens in the spring. I never tire of seeing these flowers. Luckily, when I visit my family in the San Gabriel Valley of California, if it’s April or May, the Huntington Library Desert Garden is nearby which has a spectacular collection.